It is difficult to know what to write about as the news is generally depressing and apart from survival and listing to world politicians shout at each other, there is not a lot to do. So just a short, informal update from where I live in Jomtien, Pattaya in Thailand.
Despite being full of Chinese tourists preparing to celebrate their Chinese New Year when the outbreak started Pattaya appears to have escaped the terrifying epidemic that we are seeing in Europe. The Chinese tourists left quickly and immediately many hotels and attractions closed. Gradually restrictions have been imposed and we are now on a virtual shutdown. The last of the tourists have gone and it appears just to be the locals and retirees that remain. Food shops are open but with shorter opening hours. They are well stocked and there does not appear to have been any panic buying. We currently have good supplies of everything including masks and hand-cleaner.
As of today, Thailand has 2,169 cases, there have been sadly 23 deaths, but 674 people have recovered. I believe that we are all holding our breath that this number will not skyrocket. We are still able to go to the supermarket and even take a daily walk along the promenade. The beach has been closed to stop people congregating and there is now a curfew from 22:00-04:00. For a city that welcomes thousands of visitors daily it is amazingly quiet.
I will not place pictures of deserted streets and closed bars/restaurants in Pattaya, as I believe that we first have to survive this situation then crawl our way out. Life and business will never be the same again but maybe we can correct some of our mistakes and make this a better world to live in.
To all my friends and readers around the world, stay safe, stay at home and try to stay positive!
Kim Waddoup
Founder
Kim Waddoup enjoyed a lifetime in the tourism business and is an active ‘Silver-Ager” living in Thailand. He writes for his age group with high varied articles covering subjects relevant to retirees living in, or visiting Thailand. Any questions or comments on this post? Please do feel free to contact me through our ‘Contact Form’ or directly kim@meanderingtales.com
